Outlander star Caitriona Balfe, best known for her role as Claire Fraser, has opened up about her new role in the upcoming spy thriller The Amateur and how it has a ‘personal connection’ to her late father
Caitriona Balfe, the talented Irish actress known for her iconic role as Claire Fraser in Outlander, is set to make a splash on the big screen with her upcoming film, The Amateur. She will be joined by an all-star cast, including Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, and Laurence Fishburne.
In The Amateur, Balfe – who recently teased a ‘satisfying’ end to Outlander season 8 – takes on the complex character of Inquiline, a mysterious widow who forms an unlikely partnership with Malek’s vengeful CIA operative after his spouse is tragically killed in a London terror attack.
When discussing her latest role and how it compares to her long-standing portrayal of Claire Fraser in Outlander, Balfe, whose strong Irish name is explained here, shared her thoughts in an interview with Numero.com, as reported by the Scottish Daily Express.
She emphasized her interest in portraying authentic, multidimensional women, stating: “I’m simply interested in portraying real women – women with agency. So if that’s seen as a feminist approach, then yes, it is. I think it’s important that each character I play feels real, three-dimensional, and like there’s something compelling about her.”
Balfe also revealed a personal connection to her new role, sharing that her late father, James ‘Jim’ Balfe, a retired Garda officer who passed away in August 2022, was a huge fan of spy movies. She f ondly recalled her childhood memories of watching spy films with her father, saying: “My dad was a huge fan of spy movies. Growing up, if the only TV in the house was on and you wanted to watch something, you had to watch what he was watching.”
She further shared her enthusiasm for the spy film genre: “So yes, I’ve always enjoyed the genre. Over the years, there have been so many variations on spy films that there’s always something interesting to discover.”
The actress has opened up about her upbringing in rural County Monaghan, near the UK border with Northern Ireland, and the complexities of being a guard’s daughter. She recounted how some families “wouldn’t really interact with you” and mused over how her father’s dual life as a stern police garda sergeant and an entertainer who loved performing skits, even donning a wedding dress, must have shaped her, reports the Daily Record.
In her new gig in The Amateur, Balfe takes on the role of a reclusive hacker in Istanbul who helps the bereaved Charlie Heller track down his wife’s murderers, reigniting his will to live.
Reflecting on the similarities between her characters Claire and Inquiline, both strong and self-reliant women, she expressed appreciation for her standing in the industry and the direction her career has taken.
She also touched on the changing landscape of female roles, stating: “I’m so grateful to have found a place in this industry and to see my career take off. And I’m happy that more and more female characters are being written this way.”
She highlighted the continuous push for improvement, stating: “I don’t think everything is perfect – far from it. There’s still work to be done. But I do hope the era of women existing solely to support male characters, without any depth, is behind us.”